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The Detroit Tigers take on the Los Angeles Dodgers. Our MLB odds series has our Tigers Dodgers prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Tigers Dodgers.
The Los Angeles Dodgers had to enjoy Monday night's win over the Detroit Tigers in the first game of this midweek series. Lance Lynn was the starter for the Dodgers, while Eduardo Rodriguez was the starting pitcher for the Tigers. You will recall that the Dodgers grabbed Lynn from the Chicago White Sox at the trade deadline, while Rodriguez very specifically vetoed a trade to Los Angeles. The pitcher who wanted to play for the Dodgers beat the pitcher who did not want to join the Dodgers. Everyone in that L.A. dugout had to take a little satisfaction from that turn of events.
Now, however, there is a bigger battle going on in the National League entering the final two weeks of the season. The Dodgers are three games behind the Atlanta Braves in the race for the top seed in the National League and home-field advantage through the National League playoffs. If the Dodgers do get the top seed, that would drastically change the dynamics of the N.L. postseason. The Braves would not play the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series. The Dodgers would potentially face the Phillies, since Philadelphia is almost certain to be the No. 4 seed in the Senior Circuit.
The Braves have lost four games in a row after clinching the N.L. East Division championship. The Dodgers have won each of their last four games and are now back in the conversation. Can they make up a few more games in the next two weeks? This door of possibility has not been closed.
Here are the Tigers-Dodgers MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Tigers-Dodgers Odds
Detroit Tigers: +1.5 (+100)
Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (-120)
Over: 8.5 (-122)
Under: 8.5 (+100)
How To Watch Tigers vs. Dodgers
TV: Bally Sports Detroit (Tigers) / SportsNet LA (Dodgers) / MLB Extra Innings
Stream: MLB.tv
Time: 10:10 p.m. ET/10:10 p.m. PT
*Watch Tigers-Dodgers LIVE on fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Tigers Could Cover The Spread
Though the Dodgers are three games behind the Braves in the N.L. race for the top seed, it's actually a four-game lead since Atlanta owns the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Dodgers are not going to go all-out to chase down the Braves. They are focused on getting their guys healthy and ready for the postseason. That is their first need and priority. This is not a highly crucial game for the Dodgers, and as we noted above, if they get the top seed in the National League, they could face the Phillies in the NLDS. No one wants to face the Phillies in the NLDS. The Dodgers would rather face the Milwaukee Brewers as the No. 2 seed. Los Angeles does not have a lot of incentive to win this game.
Why The Dodgers Could Cover The Spread
The Dodgers are rolling, even though they have already clinched their division and do not have to go all-out to win games. They have a bunch of professionals who play well on a consistent basis. The Dodgers clinched their division on Saturday night in Seattle against the Mariners. They could have mailed it in on Sunday and played the game like a spring training game. Nope. They hammered the Mariners 6-1 with another very strong performance. They had to fly home from Seattle without a day off and play the Tigers on Monday night. That was another game in which a letdown would have surprised no one. Instead, the Dodgers crushed the Tigers. This team is a machine, and one should ignore the incentives. The Dodgers are just good. They win a lot of games.
Final Tigers-Dodgers Prediction & Pick
The Dodgers don't have anything to play for. It just seems risky picking them, even against Detroit. Stay away from this game.
Final Tigers-Dodgers Prediction & Pick: Dodgers -1.5
